Maximising profits through Visual Merchandising and Store Layout

Visual Merchandising and store layouts is one of the most important arts to master if you have anything to do with food retail or you sell or supply food to the public. It can be a complex subject. However, once mastered it can add a significant amount of cash to your bottom line.
Here in the Foodies programme we see many café and restaurant owners as well as many businesses manufacturing food to sell into the retail space. Understanding visual merchandising is vital to anyone in those spaces.

On September 28th we are very lucky to have David Anthony, a Visual Merchandising Expert, with over 20 years experience coming to give his best advice on how to use visual merchandising to its fullest. David has turned around and reshaped some of the UK’s best known café and food brands, such as Nero and Carluccios through his merchandising skills. His talk is excellent and highly recommended.

To better explain what David is covering we thought we’d give you a little taster below.

What is merchandising?
Frankly, it’s about making your product displays look pretty. It’s how to maximise your profits by ensuring that your merchandise looks as appealing as possible so that it is highly attractive to your customer. To get sales you have to make your produce look so tantalizing that your customer just has to have it.

On average you have 3-5 seconds to impress your customer. Looking through your window they will decide if your shop is appealing enough to enter. Then, once you have them inside, it has to be easy for them to find what they want. If for example, it is difficult to navigate the shop or to quickly make a purchase, your potential customer will go somewhere else. This is where things like planograms come in. This deals with setting out your premises so that the customers “flow”. It’s about using the floor and shelf space most efficiently and so that there is an easy “route” through your floorplan. To some this all might seem obvious, however, from the thousands of retail units, restaurants and cafes we see, many get it wrong.

Merchandising is about putting yourself in the shoes of your customer. It’s is about understanding what is going on inside their head and presenting your product in a way that is appealing and easy for them to make decisions on. It is also about putting complimentary products close by and ensuring that your highest selling, highest margin items are front and centre. The space on your shelves and counters come at a cost and the faster you can sell your stock, the more money you will make.

The best way to maximise this is to make it visually appealing and a provide a seamless customer experience. You want repeat customers who rave about your business and bring their friends. The only way to do that is to make their life as easy as possible and give them an experience that is attractive, simple, quick and encourages them to explore your shop and buy items that make them feel good.

Are you new to the food industry or want to improve your sales results? Are you struggling to find the right formula to keep your customers buying in large amounts? If so, our Master Class on Merchandising and Store Layout is a must attend event. Register at http://bit.ly/2tQXFv2